The Capital District appears generally devoid of things to do, but as a tribute to the place I lived for the past year while toiling away at my MS in Architectural Acoustics at RPI, I've compiled all my favorite places in Troy and the surrounding area. Even Brooklyn (and the rest of NYC) has nothing on these places.
The Confectionery - I have never had a better meat and cheese plate, and I doubt I ever will (it's all about the pairings!). Great wine selection, fantastic ambiance, brilliant and friendly owners.
The Brew Crew: Oliver's Beverage Co. - The best beer selection I have ever seen. I always came here after going to the grocery store to pick out new and rare bottles to take home for the coming week.
Honest Weight Food Co-op - My go-to grocery store. Friendly staff, good selection of organic and locally sourced foods, pasta and spices you can measure out so you buy only as much as you need, Kombucha on tap, etc. I love the Park Slope Food Co-op, but in a lot of ways, Honest Weight has them beat.
The Cheese Traveler - I only came here once, but if I wasn't living on a student stipend, I would have come much more. An amazing selection of cheeses and pairings, and incredibly helpful staff. The Confectionery gets their cheeses from here.
CCK - As far as similarity to the food I had and loved in China, CCK's food comes the closest of any Chinese food I've had in the U.S. Especially their delicious Sichuan menu.
First Choice Caribbean - Amazing jerk chicken. I got so much delicious food here for such affordable prices. And the people who work here are super friendly to boot.
The Ruck (by day) - I have to add this to the list, although depending what time of day you go it is either perfect or hell on Earth. By day, it is a great place to get some great bar food (delicious wings and mozzarella sticks with raspberry sauce) and rare microbrews on tap or in a bottle. But later on, maybe after 8PM or so, especially on weekends, it gets packed (you have to squeeze your way to the bar or the bathroom) with girls pounding Bud Light and dudes hitting on them in a way that is borderline harassment. But I am getting older and like peace and quiet.
Also - a shout out to the Troy Farmer's Market, which made my life much easier in my first, car-less semester. A damn good Farmer's Market, I must say.
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